


Building a Life

by Rivulet027



Series: Alleviation [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Awesome Clint Barton, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Clint Barton's Farm, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Healing, M/M, Multi, Past Abuse, Past Brainwashing, Protective Clint Barton, Protective Sam Wilson, Sam Wilson is a Gift
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2019-01-21 15:27:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12460599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivulet027/pseuds/Rivulet027
Summary: Sam and Clint help Bucky heal after he escapes Hydra.





	Building a Life

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bluflamingo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluflamingo/gifts).



> Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Marvel. It's not my toy box and I'm just playing.

Sam follows him and at first that worries Barnes, but then he realizes that Sam is keeping his distance and watching his back. He joins Sam at a coffee shop, sits next to him, thanks him, and worries, “Are you going to tell Steve?”

“Do you want me to?” Sam asks, turning to take him in. His eyes are warm, full of concern, and a hint of mischief. Barnes feels himself relax, which makes him unsettled. He sits up and glances away, looks around the shop they’re in.

“I’m not ready for that yet,” Barnes manages haltingly.

Sam nods. “At least let me get you something to eat?”

Barnes wets his lips, glancing at the large menus above the registers, trying not to feel overwhelmed. Sam takes a sip of his drink. Barnes shrugs.

“Coffee or tea?”

“Coffee.”

Sam nods and continues, asking him how he likes his coffee, then helping him pick out a sandwich. Sam returns with both and pastry for himself, which he cuts in half. Sam takes half and then nudges the plate closer to him. 

It becomes a routine. Eating together once a week slowly becomes eating together once a day until they’re traveling together. Sam never comments on his need to keep moving, just helps him narrow down his choices so he can figure out what he likes, who he is now that he’s no longer Hydra’s puppet. Sam is there, a steady calming presence as he figures out who Bucky is, as he learns to accept himself. 

Through it all Sam calls and texts Steve, but never pressures him to say anything. Sam doesn’t even say they’re traveling together, until Bucky says, “Tell him I said hi.”

Sam looks at him for confirmation. Bucky nods. Talking to Steve helps something in him settle. He’s not sure how to feel about Steve taking on Hydra, but at least Steve has a team behind him. He starts wanting to know more about Steve’s team. He expects that Sam will suggest he talk to Natasha. He’s not sure he wants to, he has inklings of Black Widow before he met her while she was helping Steve. Sam suggests he talk to someone named Clint.

He settles back onto his bed at the motel they're spending the night at as he asks, “Which one is he?”

“Hawkeye.”

“The guy with the bow and arrows? The sniper?” Bucky asks.

Sam settles next to him on the bed as he agrees.

Bucky rests his head on Sam’s shoulder and reaches out to link their hands together. “Why him?”

Sam squeezes his hand. “How much do you know about the Avengers becoming a team?”

“There were aliens and they had to fight Loki, who is Thor’s brother.” Bucky tells him.

“Loki brainwashed Clint into helping him. Nat saved him, but he has experience coming back from that. I know it’s not the same as what you’ve gone through, but it might be good to talk to someone who’s had similar experiences.”

“So we can be brainwashed snipers together?” Bucky manages to tease.

“As long as it doesn’t take away from him being my bird bro,” Sam teases back.

“There’s a story there, isn’t there?”

Sam laughs warmly. “Clint pointed it out. He’s Hawkeye, I’m Falcon, so bird bros.”

“You guys get along?”

Sam gets him to text Clint. Texting is easier for him because he can take his time answering if he needs to, and Clint prefers text because he’s hard-of-hearing. Clint’s funny, checks in with him often, and sends him pictures of his dog, Lucky.

Clint invites him and Sam to take a break at his farm. He says that if Hydra tries anything they’ll have to go up against three Avengers and he has a Quinjet in his barn. Bucky isn’t sure how to feel about his automatic status as an Avenger, but he’s no longer sure it’s just Steve: Sam and Clint seem to like his company too.

“You don’t even have to convince me,” Bucky tells Sam. “I want to go. What do you think?”

“I think it’d be good to be still for a bit,” Sam agrees.

Bucky doesn’t expect a place to make him feel at ease, but Clint’s house does. Many of the farms in the area are surrounded by corn fields, but the field by Clint’s house has pumpkins. It’d be easy to see anyone trying to come to the house and Clint has known the person he’s rented his field out to for years. The house has a lived in feel, knick-knacks everywhere, rugs, and a large comfortable couch that can fit all of them and Lucky on it at once. 

Clint greets them warmly, pulling Sam in for a hug. He then offers Bucky a hand to shake, before putting his hands out wide in the clear off of a hug. Clint raises is eyebrows in question and Bucky feels himself starting to smile back as he takes in the mischief in Clint’s grin. They hug and Bucky smiles against the warmth of Clint’s shoulder.

Clint helps them settle in, even asks them to help him redo one of the upstairs bedrooms. It’s not until Bucky’s picked out a pale green color for the walls and a soft silver colored carpet for the floor that he realizes Clint is giving him the room, that he has his own space. A part of him thinks he should say no to the charity of it, but every part of him needs it, a place that is his and his alone. They find a sturdy bedroom set secondhand and paint it black. They redo the handles in silver. He doesn’t have anything to hang on the walls, but having his own room that he decided on himself settles the last of the relentless need to keep moving and hiding. He knows both Sam and Clint are watching his back. He knows that Steve and Natasha are out in the world protecting him from Hydra.

“Maybe I should ask Steve for something?” he muses to Sam as he takes in the bare walls.

“Like Steve isn’t already going to draw you something?” Sam smiles as he pulls back the covers and settles into their bed. Bucky lays down next to him, sliding close to Sam, and relaxing as Sam wraps an arm around him.

He grateful that Clint doesn’t even question his inability to sleep alone or mention that his houseguests are teetering close to being in a relationship. He grateful that Sam doesn’t push him, is just there for him.

He, Sam, and Clint settle into a routine. He starts seeing Clint’s therapist. Clint has to leave occasionally to help with Avenger’s missions, but he feels safe with Sam. 

Then Natasha shows up asking for Sam’s help in taking down the latest Hydra base the Avengers have found.

“We need another person in the air and Rhodes can’t make it.”

Sam looks to him.

“I’ll be fine,” Bucky tells him, trying to ignore the nervousness in his gut. 

“If you’d feel better with a third person here we can send Wanda or Pietro. I know they miss Clint.” Natasha offers.

“One I talk to them every day. Two they come as a pair. Three why can’t we get Hawkeye?” Clint interjects. “What would be better than two Hawkeyes protecting him?” 

Bucky’s heard of Clint’s helping in rescuing Wanda and Pietro, twins that Hydra had experimented on and brainwashed into working for them. They’d been through something similar to him, even had memories of being in those chair like he did. He knows they miss Clint, they do call and talk every day, but he’s not sure he’s ready to meet them.

“We need Kate for this one,” Natasha tells Clint. “Besides she’ll remind you it’s her turn to have Lucky.”

Sam goes and Clint offers to sleep with him. “In your room, obviously, so at least the surroundings are familiar. Fair warning though Lucky will want to join in and he snores.”

“You snore,” Bucky tells him, begrudgingly grateful that he has good friends and not quite sure how he’s been lucky enough to ended up here. It’s probably all Steve’s fault, who’d always been able to surround himself with good people, at least if Bucky’s memory is correct. 

Sam comes home to Bucky fixing Clint coffee and himself some tea. He pours some of the coffee into a second cup and fixes the first cup the way Sam likes it, before pouring more coffee into the second cup for Clint.

“We’re going to need a bigger bed, aren’t we?” Sam says after he’s taken a long draw of coffee.

Bucky bites his lower lip, not sure how to respond.

“I want you safe and happy,” Sam reminds, touching Bucky’s chin as he sets his cup on the counter.

Bucky pulls him close, holds him tight.

“Steve’s on the porch. You say you’re not ready and I’ll send him home, you say you are and I’ll go take Clint his coffee.”

Bucky nods, thinks about it a moment, then pours Steve a cup of coffee and steps out onto the porch. He knows he made the right decision when Steve smiles at him, warm and welcoming. 

“I missed you,” Bucky manages after they’ve hugged and settled into chairs with their drinks.

“I missed you too.”

Their conversation starts small. Bucky asks about Steve’s life and Steve asks about Bucky. It takes time to find a rhythm that feels familiar. Then Steve considers him a moment and asks about Sam. Bucky isn’t sure how to answer.

“You know, I flirted with him first,” Steve teases lightly with a smile.

Bucky laughs, covering his eyes with his hand, then manages. “Why do I want to say I licked him first so I have dibs?”

“Because that rule still applies?” Steve grins.

“But I haven’t,” Bucky says, staring down into his empty mug, "And that isn't the slang we would've used."

“It isn't the slang," Steve agrees, "But I have a feelings it's more haven't yet than not going to.”

Bucky turns to look at Steve.

“He’s interested,” Steve reassures.

“I think I like Clint just as much,” Bucky confesses.

Steve raises his eyebrows and shakes his head with a smile. “Maybe that’s what you need. The three of you looking out for each other.”

“But it’s…” Bucky trails off, not sure what to say.

“You always had multiple dates, that’s why you’d drag me along or some other guy. You always invited more than one person out and then try to turn it into couples. Maybe don’t try that last part this time and see how things work out for you.”

“You’re an enabler.”

Steve laughs. “Well so are you.”

“I don’t need your approval,” Bucky tries, enjoying the way they’ve fallen into teasing.

“But you’ll always want it.” Steve smirks.

Bucky settles back into the chair with a laugh, glad that after a lifetime apart the two of them can still be friends.

The first time Bucky kisses Sam they’re sitting on Clint’s porch. He’s got a cup of coffee in one hand and Lucky pressed into his side. Sam is reading a book, using Bucky’s thigh as a pillow. Sam lowers the book and smiles at him. He tells Bucky about a joke in the book and Bucky leans in and kisses him for it. Sam reaches up to touch his cheek, deepens the kiss.

The first time he kisses Clint the three of them are snuggled on the couch popcorn between them watching a movie. Clint mentions their relationship, the thing Sam and him are still talking about as they ease into it. Bucky and Sam look at each other before they start pointing out to Clint how much he’s interweaved into their lives. Bucky is grateful that he and Sam have had this conversation before having it with Clint and that the three of them fit together in a way that makes him feel comfortable.

Clint gives them a self-deprecating grin. “So you want me to be a part of your relationship?”

“Think you already are,” Sam answers.

Clint laughs. “Of course I’d get into a relationship without realizing I’m in one.”

“Disappointed?” Bucky asks.

Clint turns to look at him, leans in and captures his lips. Bucky kisses him back as he pulls Clint closer with one hand and reaches for Sam with the other. Sam threads their fingers together and squeezes his hand. Bucky sighs and closes his eyes, kisses Clint again, and feels himself settle into finally having a home.


End file.
